252 The Red Letter Answers - 5

In this episode we look at the question about how did Jesus' teachings relate to the ever-burning destiny portrayed in Revelation 14:10-12? Jesus tells a series of parables that give numerous endings to the wicked that inhabit the earth. It is enlightening to discover that He was not telling these stories to warn us of what happens at the end of the world. He is using the various ending that the people of the time believed as he is telling these parables that have another main point entirely. It is essential to understand the proper use of these parables.

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SHOW NOTES

5. How do Jesus’ teachings relate to the ever-burning destiny portrayed in Revelation

14:10-12?

Same idea in 20:9-10.

Then a third angel followed them, shouting, “Anyone who worships the beast and his

statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand 10 must drink the wine of

God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be

tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the

Lamb. 11 The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no

relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.”

“The smoke of their torment rises forever and ever” is a Hebrew idiomatic expression also used in Isaiah 34:10 which refers to Edom or the present country of Jordan. There is no fire burning there at present. It does not mean the fire burns eternally but that the fire cannot be quenched until the fuel is consumed.

This is the right place to discuss the endings of the parables Jesus told because they are relevant to this question. At the same time, it is an unnecessary discussion since only the punch line of a parable is relevant. However, we consider these endings since those who do not understand the structure of parables use these endings as evidence for the violence of God.

Parables with Violent Endings

1. Parable of the Weeds and Wheat (Matthew 13:24-30): At the harvest (end of the age), the weeds are gathered and burned in a fiery furnace. Punchline: An enemy has done this.

2. Parable of the Dragnet (Matthew 13:47-50): Bad fish are separated from good and throwninto the fiery furnace. Punchline: Separation is at the end of world.

3. Forgiveness Aborted (Matthew 18:23-35): The first debtor is forgiven a huge amount but refused to forgive another who owed him little. Therefore the first debtor is tortured in prison until the debt is paid. Punchline: Pass on the mercy and forgiveness you have received.

4. Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Matthew 21:33-46): The tenants murder the owner's son, so the owner sends his army to destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others, resulting in the "miserable death" of the wicked. Punchline: Killing the king’s messengers does not solve the problem.

5. Parable of the Wicked Servant (Matthew 24:44-51): The unfaithful servant who abuses others is "cut to pieces" and given a place with the hypocrites, symbolizing severe judgment.

Punchline: Evil servants come to a dreadful end.

6. Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matthew 22:1-14): After guests refuse the invitation and kill the king's servants, the king sends his army to burn their city and then casts out a guest without a proper robe into "outer darkness" with "weeping and gnashing of teeth." Punchline: The problem is that we don’t heed the king’s invitation or entrance ticket.

7. Parable of the Talents/Pounds (Matthew 25:14-30): A master punishes a servant who buried his talent (or pound) by taking it away and casting the servant "into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

" Punchline: Use your gifts to benefit others as God does.

8. Parable of the Talents/Pounds (Luke 19:11-27): A king punishes the servants who did not want him to be king as follows: “and as for these enemies of mine who didn’t want me to be their king—bring them in and execute them right here in front of me.” Punchline: Use God’s gifts to bless others.

God is pictured as throwing people into a fiery furnace, binding them hand and foot, casting them into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, putting them to miserable death, cutting and breaking them into pieces and crushing them, destroying murders and burning their city, depriving them of the presence of God and putting them with hypocrites or with the devil and his angels for eternity.

These endings cannot literally be reconciled. It would seem the wisest conclusion to make is that Jesus uses the metaphors of his day to warn against a terrible end for those who do not repent and reform.

These shocking endings were designed to have the listeners reflect deeply on the seriousness of rejecting God's kingdom. They also record the inherent consequences of rebellion, disobedience, and hypocrisy.

These are the endings caused by sin. They are not invented by God nor do arise as a consequence of God’s thoughts. God as revealed in Jesus is the Creator not the Destroyer

John 10:10 NLT The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to

give them a rich and satisfying life.

Every theft, murder and destruction is the work of the thief or the devil. Jesus states his purpose by contrast is to gift us with wonderful life. It is wrong to ignore Jesus and attribute stealing, killing and destruction to God. It is blasphemy to attribute the actions of Satan to God.

Repent.